Want to Learn More About the Team at Infinite Learning?
Watch our video and get to know us! Or scroll down and read about each member of the team!
Co-Founder and Managing Partner
Rebecca Annand
Rebecca trained as a secondary school teacher after graduating from Leeds University. She taught for 9 years, both in the UK and in the UAE before re-qualifying with the Chartered Institute of Marketing in 2001. She enjoyed 9 years working in the world of advertising/marketing and this wide and varied career experience has provided her with an invaluable skill-set for this field.
In September 2010 Rebecca joined British Schools in the Middle East and successfully developed and led the Continuing Professional Development programme. She grew the programme from scratch to become a regionally acknowledged, quality-assured programme, offering over 100 courses a year.
Rebecca is an Accredited Facilitator for UCL Institute of Education and she has facilitated many NPQ Programme cohorts. She leads on the NPQ Facilitation Training Programme and is an Accredited NPQ Assessor with NPQ Online. Rebecca also holds the CfBT Education Trust Certificate of Professional Practice in Coaching and Mentoring and is a member of the International Professional Development Association.
Rebecca’s passion is singing! She currently sings with the Abu Dhabi Big Band and various other jazz and acoustic bands. She also loves shoes!
Co-Founder and Managing Partner
Paola Wingrove
Paola has always worked in education and over the course of her career she has developed a deep understanding of how schools work and how to make their lives easier! In 2012 Paola joined British Schools of the Middle East and worked alongside Rebecca Annand in running and developing the regional CPD Programme. Paola has previously worked in a large London HMC school as PA to the Headmaster, organising the day to day running of a busy office and arranging prestigious events. She has also worked in a boarding school in Oxfordshire supporting her husband. “Being married to a Headmaster it was inevitable that my life would revolve around the world of education in some form or another”.
Paola enjoys tennis and The Telegraph cryptic crossword, along with socialising and family life. She also loves shoes!
Marketing and Professional Learning Lead
Aurora Abousaid
Aurora has worked in administration and management for over ten years and has been working in the education sector for the last seven years, with a strong focus on marketing communications and executive administration. After acquiring her Bachelor’s degree, Aurora immediately began working in a variety of fields including customer service management, fundraising and development, marketing, events, alumni relations and human resources.
Along with her diverse expertise, Aurora brings her content creation and design skills to Infinite Learning, to enhance brand awareness while also focusing on helping professionals continue to educate themselves, something which she also aspires to do. With a plethora of skills, Aurora has grown very passionate about education and has a deep appreciation for school administration, faculty and staff.
Aurora enjoys drawing, shopping and spending time with her family. She also loves music and dancing!
Learning Development Manager - NPQ Lead
Tanya Drew
Tanya trained as a secondary school teacher after graduating from Aberystwyth University. She taught for several years in the UK, gained experience from a variety of leadership roles and completed her NPQH before moving to the UAE. In Dubai, Tanya held the position of Head of Secondary at Dubai British School before moving across to open the secondary phase at the newly founded sister school, Dubai British School Jumeirah Park. She enjoyed working in senior leadership roles across schools in the UK and the UAE which have provided her with invaluable experience for her role as Learning and Development Manager.
Tanya is an Accredited Facilitator for UCL Institute of Education and she has facilitated many NPQ Programme cohorts. She is an Accredited NPQ Assessor with NPQ Online. Tanya is passionate about life-long learning and thoroughly enjoys supporting existing and aspiring leaders in their pursuit of excellence for their school and the people within them.
In her spare time Tanya enjoys spending time travelling with her family as well as improving her scuba diving skills and skiing techniqueAssistant Administrator
Sharon Erlank
Sharon has worked in schools in Dubai for 10 years, as the GCSE Exams Officer and also dealt with school assessments and testing. Prior to this Sharon worked as a project manager in a medical insurance company in South Africa and these skills were the key tools to support her in the planning and timetabling requirements of the complex school exams environment. She brings this experience to assist Infinite Learning to plan and manage their CPD Programme and to provide a high level of administrative services. Sharon and her family loved Expat life in Dubai and their daughter spent all her education years there, before graduating to a University in the United Kingdom. Sharon loves cats and walking.
Admin
Samrina Mir
Samrina completed a DipHE in Psychological Sciences from the University of Westminster, London and worked in education and the NHS before moving to the UAE 10 years ago with her family where she has worked in schools in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
The knowledge and exposure gained from being a teaching assistant as well as working in school administration in the UAE has resulted in a deep appreciation of all the hardworking staff in schools as well valuable experience in planning, organization and teamwork – all skills she brings to the Infinite Learning Team!
Samrina enjoys spending her free time travelling with the family, reading, and watching cricket and Formula 1!